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TUAW Social Club: Chat about your new iPad and Apple TV
Happy iPad day, boys and girls! Congratulations on your new 3rd generation baby -- and possibly on your new 1080p Apple TV. If your gadget household just grew in size -- or if you're trying to decide whether to pull the trigger on buying some new tech -- come join the discussion in our comments. We and the TUAW social braintrust are here to help you get your new equipment set up and to answer questions to get you going. So jump on in -- whether you've got questions, or answers, or just want to brag about your new baby. We're excited, too!
Where's Steve Wozniak? He's doing his regular waiting-in-line thing
Sure it's marketing, but it's also a nice little ritual. Speaking to an interviewer from What's Trending, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak acknowledged he doesn't have to wait in line for his new iPad, but said he'd "rather be genuine, like the real people". They're the ones you can see pretending to sleep / read in the background.
Walmart to start selling new iPads at midnight local time
Well, it looks like you won't have to wait until 8:00am tomorrow to possibly get your hands on the new iPad after all. Walmart has now confirmed that it will begin selling the 16GB WiFi-only model tonight at 12:01am local time at all of its 24-hour stores. That includes both the black and white versions, as well as the now $399 iPad 2 if the whole Retina display thing isn't for you. Of course, there's no guarantees that you'll get one if you show up -- Walmart says it only has a "limited supply."
Kindle, Evernote, Vimeo and more get optimized for the iPad's Retina display
As we saw the iPhone 4's release, a massive bump in screen resolution means that plenty of apps need to be updated to fully take advantage of all those extra pixels, and today has seen a few big name ones get optimized for the new iPad's Retina display. The biggest of those is Amazon's Kindle app, which now promises sharper fonts than ever, along with a few other changes including the ability to switch between books stored on your device and in the cloud. Also getting a Retina-friendly update is Evernote, which offers improved text editing in addition to the display tweak, plus the otherwise unchanged Vimeo, and Weather Pro, which now boasts high-resolution maps. Of course, those are just among the first of many -- we're guessing you won't have to wait too long for most of your favorites to be similarly updated.Update: Twitter for iOS and Infinity Blade II (pic after the break) are also among the apps getting high res iPad makeovers just in time, let us know in the comments below about any others that appear.
iFixit begins surgery on new iPad
Need something to keep you occupied as you wait in line for the latest iPad? What better way to wile away the time waiting for its 8AM release in your part of the world than watching someone else tear apart their brand new tablet? iFixit has already managed to get its hands on the "resolutionary" new product with help from some time zone trickery, and is digging into the slate as we speak. The site has only posted the above image at present, but we'll hit you with the link as soon as we get it. Stay tuned.Update: And it begins! Check out the source link below to follow all of the fun. Looks like the site got its hands on a 4G model, courtesy of a store in Melbourne, Australia. So far there's nothing super shocking inside -- it's packing that dual-core A5x processor and a 9.7-inch display, which looks like it may have been crafted by Samsung, according to the site. The iPad's SoC has also been confirmed as the Quad-core PowerVR SGX MP4+ -- just like we surmised last week.
Apple's new iPad shows up in Hong Kong, teases with sample photos and video clip
Looks like Vietnam ain't the only place that got an early taste of the new iPad, which is due out this Friday around the world (unless you're super tight with your delivery man, of course). Hong Kong magazine PCM just informed us that it got hold of a 4G flavor of Apple's latest tablet, courtesy of a very mysterious person (especially considering the 4G version isn't yet available in this region). Within the little time it spent with the new iPad, PCM managed to do plenty of comparisons with the tablet's predecessor, particularly with their camera and graphics performance. While pretty much everything's been beefed up, PCM claims that the new lens isn't as wide as before, and it also notes that the extra 50g is pretty noticeable -- obviously we shall see for ourselves on Friday. Hands-on video and sample video clip embedded after the break, and head on over to the source link for more comparison shots.
New iPad inventory shipments spotted at Best Buy, backroom eye-candy until Friday
If you somehow haven't heard, Apple's new iPad officially goes on sale this Friday. As such, it's not surprising to find out that at least one US Best Buy location has already received its stock of the Retina display-loaded slates. Thanks to an anonymous tipster, we've received photos showing short-stacks of the pads just waiting to be given new homes. If you'll recall, Apple's online store has already sold out of its arrival day shipment stock for home delivery, with newer orders now set to go out on the 19th. That said, if you haven't reserved one and have to it come March 16th, you'll likely have another option for a retail camping adventure aside from your local Apple, AT&T and Verizon stores.[Thanks, Anonymous]
New iPad still coming to Apple Stores at 8AM on Friday, don't worry
Getting a little bit antsy in your respective Apple Store queue? Don't worry, Cupertino let it be known that its new iPad is on-track for an 8AM debut this Friday. The "resolutionary" (Apple's fault, not ours) tablet will be reaching Apple Stores on March 16th at 8AM local time in ten countries: the US (including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK. Here in the States, the iPad will also be hitting a number of retailers, including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart. The tablet starts at $499, the line starts around the corner and the relevant press info starts after the break.
IDC: Android tablets will overtake iPad by 2015, despite everything
They're not center-stage right now, but Android tablets are still predicted to overtake the iPad within the next three years, according to IDC. The forecasters noted that Apple's worldwide share of the tablet market is shrinking with each new lower-priced Android competitor. Even as iPad sales continued to grow in 2011, surging 50 percent between Q3 and Q4, its market share fell during the same period, from 61.5 to 54.7 percent. That gives the iOS slate a weaker lead going into 2012 than suggested by earlier figures. Of course, the iPad remains an individual starlet in front of a troupe of Google dancers, so Apple's position as the upper-most vendor isn't under threat. In fact, IDC predicts it will remain the market leader in terms of revenue beyond 2016, which ought to put some fire in Amazon's belly.
Grandma wants an iPad: the multigenerational buyer's guide
Are you getting an earful from parents or grandparents about which iPad they should buy? Read on for our guide to buying the right iPad for Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa. Two bits of anecdotal evidence that there's a digital revolution in progress: In the past year, both my mother and my mother-in-law have purchased iPads. My mother uses a Windows PC at work, and has had a Windows-based laptop for the past few years. It was starting to get old and slow, however, and the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. She was thinking about getting a new laptop or an e-reader, and asked me for guidance. My mother-in-law has had a Windows PC in her house, but never really felt comfortable using it. She had a Nook which she enjoyed, and saw my iPad and liked the fact that it was a "one thing at a time" device. Recently, my mother-in-law was visiting her father and stepmother, my wife's grandparents. She showed the iPad to them, and her stepmother became very interested in it. One stumbling block: she didn't know anything about which one to get, or how much it would cost. My mother-in-law (who, by the way, never sent an SMS text message in her life) immediately sent me an iMessage from her iPad, asking me to help figure out which iPad her stepmother should get. Given the publicity thunderclap of last week's iPad announcements, I know there are thousands of similar conversations playing out this week across the generations (Mike Rose tells me he had the exact same chat with his father-in-law this weekend). For those of you in the digital natives cadre -- the ones on the receiving end of these inquiries from friends and family -- if you've got questions of your own, I'd like to help. I hope this guide will be useful to you and to your family members, regardless of age. There may also be other technologically-inclined daughters and sons (or granddaughters and grandsons) who are being asked similar questions, so feel free to pass the guide along. "Which iPad should I get?" (Long Answer) This is a straightforward question, and fortunately Apple's straightforward product lineup makes it relatively easy to answer (as several guides, including Marco Arment's excellent rundown, have done over the past few days). I'll go into the details behind each iPad feature, so that when you're discussing it with your friends and family you have all the background you need -- but if you just want to know what I think you should buy without all the how and why, skip on down to the end. There are three core choices to make when purchasing an iPad: 1) "Which color: white or black?" For iPads, the color choice refers to the border (also called the bezel) around the front of the iPad. You can see both models illustrated in the image above. Unlike the white and black iPhone models, this color effects only the front of the iPad; the back is always brushed aluminium. In my experience, people have an almost immediate preference when they see both the white and black models. Having used them both, I prefer the black border; I find that it is less noticeable, especially when using the iPad at night. What's important to know: This is only a cosmetic difference/personal preference; the models are technically identical. Choose whichever color you like. 2) "What size (capacity)?" The iPad currently ships with three different levels of storage: 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes (GB). The number of gigabytes tells you how much storage space is available for apps (programs that you can download), pictures, movies, and music. Video takes up the most storage space, followed by music; some applications such as games can also chew up quite a bit of storage, and the new iPad's Retina Display means that graphically intensive apps will take up more room. Very large collections of pictures can also take up a lot of space. How much space you need depends on how you plan to use your iPad. Unfortunately, you can't change this after the fact, so you have to decide before you buy. The 16 GB version starts at $499, the 32 GB is $599, and the 64 GB version is $699. Generally I think the 32 GB is the best balance of price versus space, but both my mother and mother-in-law chose the 16 GB version and have not run into any problems. Unless you plan to do a lot with video, music, or games, the 16 GB version will probably be enough. One exception to the storage equation: the iPad's camera, now vastly improved from the iPad 2's hardware, will shoot really lovely video at 1080p (the highest resolution for HD television and consumer video cameras). This really lovely video will really take up a lot of room, and if the iPad owner intends to edit or play with captured video on the device... well, take whatever storage level sounds reasonable and go up one notch. If you can live with the 16 GB size, you now also have a choice of buying the iPad 2 starting at $399. That is the cheapest iPad ever, and is a great deal. We'll tackle "iPad 2 vs. new iPad" in section 4, below. What's important to know: Unlike some other tablet computers, the iPad has no memory card slot and cannot be upgraded with additional storage (at least, not in the conventional sense). Get what you think you will need, not the bare minimum you can live with. 3) "Do I want Wi-Fi only, or Wi-Fi + 4G/3G?" For data connectivity, every iPad can use Wi-Fi, the wireless networking technology that laptop and other computers have used for years. There are also a lot of places which now offer free or inexpensive Wi-Fi connections: restaurants, libraries, offices, coffee shops, etc. Free or cheap Wi-Fi isn't guaranteed everywhere, however. If you want to be able to get online (almost) anywhere, you will need an iPad which is capable of using either 3G or 4G (also called "4G LTE") networking. That is the technology which allows digital cellphones to get online (almost) anywhere there is cell phone service. (If you live somewhere where there is no cell phone service, you will not be able to use 3G or 4G service either.) 4G LTE service is relatively new and only covers some big cities in the USA; it is the faster replacement for the much more common 3G service. If you have a new iPad capable of 4G it will fall back to 3G if 4G is not available. The iPad 2 only uses 3G for cellular networking; it cannot take advantage of the faster 4G service. Both devices will prefer Wi-Fi coverage over cellular 3G or 4G since it's presumptively faster and more stable; that may not always be the case, though, if you do get 4G coverage, as it can be faster than conventional DSL or cable modem connections. Unless you live in a big city or next to an airport, you are probably not in an area where you can get 4G yet, but (hopefully) both Verizon and AT&T will continue to improve their coverage. Verizon's 3G coverage is much more thorough in the USA, although there are some places where AT&T's coverage works better. Maps are available showing AT&T coverage and Verizon coverage, so you can compare the density in your area. If you know others who use AT&T or Verizon in your neighborhood, talk to them about their experience. You have to decide when you buy if you want an iPad with 4G/3G, and if you want service from AT&T or Verizon. You can't switch after the fact. Getting a 4G-capable new iPad will add about $130 to the price (so the 16 GB version with 4G will cost $629, the 32 GB version is $729 and the 64GB is $829). You have a to pay a fee to use the 3G/4G service. There's good news and bad news here. The bad news is that after you pay $129 to get 3G/4G on to your iPad, you have to pay a fee to use it. The good news is that there is no contract, unlike traditional cellphone service. iPad data is a month-to-month arrangement, similar to a pay-as-you-go cellphone plan. Having no contract means that (for example) if you need wireless data in April you can pay for it in April, but if you don't need it in May, you don't have to pay for it in May. This is a great arrangement for people who don't have consistent or predictable travel schedules, but who sometimes find themselves on the road for a chunk of time (or in the RV, or at the lake, or visiting the grandkids). Even better, you can start your month of service or cancel it right from your iPad. You don't have to call anyone and have them try to talk you out of canceling the plan. AT&T and Verizon each have different rate plans for their 3G/4G data. These rate plans are based on how much data you're allowed to download during each month, before additional charges kick in. AT&T Download Quota Cost Per Month 250 MB $15 3 GB $30 5 GB $50 Verizon Download Quota Cost Per Month 1 GB $20 2 GB $30 5 GB $50 At first glance, AT&T seems to "win" for having the cheapest price; however, 250 MB is only going to get you a limited amount of traffic -- low volumes of email, some web browsing, but not all that much more; certainly not enough to support playing music over iCloud, for instance. AT&T also gives you 3 GB of data for $30 whereas Verizon only gives you 2 GB for the same price, but I suspect that most people who use more than 1 GB will use less than 2 GB. What you need to know: You should probably get an iPad with 3G/4G, and you should probably choose Verizon. Individual circumstances will vary, but I believe that most people will find that Verizon's network works better, and they are more likely to live in an area where Verizon has data coverage. Unless you are certain that you (or your parent/grandparent) are only going to use the iPad where you know Wi-Fi is available, having the option for 3G/4G is worth the extra cost. The price difference between $15 for 250 MB on AT&T and $20 for 1GB on Verizon is fairly minimal, but the practical difference between 250 MB and 1 GB is significant. Note: You can use the iPad without a network connection for reading books, playing games, and more. However you cannot use the Internet, email, etc. without a network connection (either Wi-Fi or 3G/4G). That takes care of the three most important concerns when you're figuring out what you want. Now, let's discuss some of the additional options. 4) "Do I want an iPad 2 or the new iPad?" The 3rd generation iPad (referred to by Apple as "the iPad" or "the new iPad") will be available starting on March 16; if you haven't ordered one already, and you're not interested in waiting on a long line on Friday, you probably will be waiting a few weeks before you can get one. Budget shoppers who aren't hung up on having the newest, shiniest and fastest device now have a great option: the 2nd generation iPad (more commonly referred to as the "iPad 2") will still be available, but only in the 16 GB capacity. You can get the iPad 2 with 3G from either AT&T or Verizon. It does not support 4G but as I mentioned above, for many people, 4G may not even be available. What's "new" about the new iPad versus the iPad 2? The new iPad has a faster processor, a much better camera, 4G support, voice dictation and the heavily touted Retina display (which means that words and images on the screen will look much sharper and clearer). The iPad 2 is still an excellent choice, but the price difference between the 16GB iPad 2 and the 16 GB new iPad is "only" $100. I say only because if you take the price of the iPad and average it out over the next 2–3 years, that extra $100 comes out to only a few dollars per month. What you need to know: For day to day use, the iPad 2 is still a great device with a lot of life left in it. Most parents or grandparents would be perfectly happy with the iPad 2, and it will be readily available during the rest of March when the new iPad is likely to be very scarce. If the iPad's camera is going to be used to any degree, however, don't bother with the iPad 2; just get the new iPad -- the improvement is pretty dramatic. Also, if the $100 price difference doesn't cause any hardship, get the new one. 5) "How do I get the lowest price on an iPad? Should I wait for it to go on sale?" The iPad does not go on sale. If you want to save money, I suggest looking at the iPad 2, or consider a refurbished iPad. These are used iPads which have been returned to Apple for repair, then they're fixed and put up for resale. Each comes with a a 1-year warranty, a brand new battery and outer shell. For all practical purposes, they are "as good as new." Refurbished iPads also can be had for a significant savings. For example, a refurbished 16 GB iPad 2 with Verizon 3G can be purchased for $480 instead of $530 new. If you are looking for the lowest price on an iPad, this is definitely the way to go. What you need to know: Offers for discounted iPads that sound too good to be true almost certainly are exactly that. Beware of online scams or dirt-cheap sales that require you to participate in a panel of offers or invite you to meet the seller in a dark deserted alley -- just get your iPad from a reputable reseller like Target, Radio Shack or Best Buy. Also, mentioning the iPad on Twitter or other social services may invoke a wave of spam replies with "get cheap iPad here" links that are usually virus-infected; don't click them, and report the Twitterers for abusive behavior. 6) "What happens if I drop my iPad or it stops working?" All iPads come with 90 days of telephone support and a 1-year warranty, but it does not cover accidental damage (drops, liquid spills, pet attacks). Apple does offer AppleCare+ for iPad which costs $100 and extends the warranty an additional year (for a total of 2 years of coverage). During those two years you will also get telephone support for your iPad from Apple. Most importantly, AppleCare+ does cover accidental damage, so if your iPad gets wet or dropped and stops working, they will repair/replace it for $49. Apple will cover up to two incidents of accidental damage, for $49 each. In the "learn from my experience" department: I dropped my iPad 2 and found out that Apple charges over $300 to repair a broken iPad screen. I highly recommend getting AppleCare+. What you need to know: You can purchase AppleCare+ anytime within 30 days of purchasing your iPad, but I recommend buying it at the same time as your iPad so you don't forget. 7) "I saw a tablet in an ad in the Sunday paper that was cheaper, should I buy that instead?" No. No! No, no no no. Really, no. There are plenty of other companies which are making tablet computers, but the iPad has many more applications available, and is much better than the other options that are out there. Even the Kindle Fire from Amazon is nowhere near as good as an iPad. (I bought one and sent it back.) What you need to know: If you ignore everything else I say here, please trust me on this. if you are going to spend money on a tablet, get an iPad. 8) "Should I buy a Kindle or a Nook or some other 'ereader'?" If all you want to do is read ebooks, then a Kindle or a Nook is just fine. The models with e-ink screens are easier to read in direct sunlight, but how often are you going to sit in direct sunlight and read? The e-ink based devices also don't have a "backlight," which means that when you are inside, you will need another light to read by, just like a regular book. The Kindle Fire and the color/tablet Nook models do have backlights, but their screens have the same characteristics as the iPad screen in terms of bright-light readability. Many people do find that e-ink screens are easier to read for a long period of time, but you have to weigh that against the fact that the classic Kindle and Nook are really only suited for reading books or magazines/blogs, whereas the iPad can do many, many more things. In fact, if you already own a Kindle or Nook, you can read your ebook collection on your iPad using apps from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. What you need to know: The Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet both can run Android-based apps from their own app stores, but the selection of apps is a tiny fraction of what's available for the iPad. You might consider them "tablets with training wheels," but now that the iPad 2 is at the $399 price point there's little reason to consider them as general-use tablets. 9) "Do I need to worry about spyware or anti-virus software on the iPad?" No. While the iPad isn't absolutely, completely, 100% immune to any security problems for all time, in practical, real-world terms, you don't need to worry about anything like that. In fact, one of the best parts of the iPad is that when you install new apps/software, each program is segregated into its own part of the iPad so that one program cannot interfere with another program. You may have learned to be very cautious about installing software on your Windows computer for fear that it might cause some sort of problem. With the iPad you can install any software you want from the App Store and not worry about "Program A" causing problems for "Program B." And if you decide you don't want to use some program, you can remove it simply: hold down your finger on the app's icon until it wiggles, then tap the "X" and it will be completely uninstalled. What you need to know: Your iPad may be largely resistant to malicious software, but that doesn't make you 100% safe. Use common sense regarding emails asking for personal/financial information (ignore them, or check with the business directly); don't share your passwords; set a device passcode to protect your data; turn on Find my iPad so you can track your device if it's lost or stolen. 10) "Can I read or edit Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint files on my iPad?" Yes! The iPad should be able to read any Microsoft Office file; if you get one in email, just tap the icon to preview it. If you need to edit or create Office files on the iPad, you can do that too using three applications from Apple: Pages for editing Microsoft Word documents Numbers for editing Microsoft Excel documents Keynote for editing Microsoft PowerPoint documents Those applications only cost $10 each. And, remember, you only need to buy those if you need to edit those documents. If you just need to read them, you can do that for free. Pages, Numbers, and Keynote may not be 100% identical to the applications from Microsoft, but they should work for most people in most circumstances. You may even find that you like them more than Microsoft Office! Many people consider them easier to use. There are other options for editing Office files, including QuickOffice, Documents To Go and Office2HD. If your new iPad buyer works with a company or volunteer organization that's expecting them to edit files, check with their IT folks to see if there's a recommended/supported solution. What you need to know: As capable as it is, the iPad isn't necessarily the right computing environment for dealing with long/structured documents or desktop publishing files. Be sure to manage expectations about what will and won't work smoothly by finding out a bit about your new iPad owner's work habits and regular tasks. "Which iPad should I get?" (Short Answer) Was that confusing and/or overwhelming? Want me to tell you which iPad to buy, leaving out all the extraneous details? Here are my suggestions: iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G LTE for Verizon 32GB - Black (3rd generation) for $729 plus AppleCare+ for $99. You can save $100 by going to 16 GB instead of 32. [This is a good alternative if you want to save $100.] You can save $129 by getting a Wi-Fi only iPad, if you plan to use use the iPad largely where Wi-Fi is available. [Not recommended] If you want the cheapest alternative, see if Apple has the Refurbished iPad 2 with Wi-Fi+3G 16GB - Black - Verizon (second generation) available for $479.00. [A very good alternative at a great price.] You can still choose whatever color you like, as long as it's white or black. Michael Rose contributed to this buyer's guide.
PSA: Verizon and AT&T ready to take your money for new iPads on March 16
We've now seen what the new iPad's packaging will entail come Friday, but it doesn't change the fact that elbowing your way to the front of those Apple Store queues isn't for everyone. Fortunately, both Verizon and AT&T are more than willing to sell you their 4G-connected iterations -- alongside a new data plan, we're sure. For the 16GB entry-level model, you're looking at around $630 on Verizon and $530 for AT&T. Before making your choice of carrier, however, we reckon you'll want to read up on those pesky data rates at the pair of source links below.
New iPad gets benchmarked: 1GB RAM confirmed, no boost in CPU speed
Not only did some lucky gents in Vietnam get their hands on the new iPad while most people are still refreshing their delivery status page, they were also kind enough to run some benchmark tests. The results confirm that the RAM has been upped to 1GB, with the Geekbench score settling at 756. The processor remains at 1GHz, again, which is what we expected, but puts the kibosh on any speculation that there might have been a slight bump in clock speeds. If you want to see the full breakdown, hit the source for the goods.
New iPad spotted in the wild, unboxing photos and video in tow
Did Apple actually release a new iPad with LTE and a Retina Display last week? Or did it waft hallucinogens at us while we liveblogged, making us see only what we wanted to see? These doubts should be quashed when the third-gen tablet starts reaching consumers who are too populous to drug effectively. Fortunately, that process has already started, with some folks over in Vietnam claiming they've got hold of the retail version of the new iPad and posting evidence to prove it. Wander over to the video after the break and the images at the source link to catch a glimpse of what your pre-order might look like when it solidifies into reality.[Thanks, Duonglv]
Virgin Mobile launches LTE for Canadian iPad users
Mr. Blurrycam snapped internal documents revealing that Virgin Mobile Canada will offer 4G to coincide with the launch of the (3rd Gen) iPad. Piggybacking on Bell's LTE network, it'll be available in "14 urban centers," presumably including Toronto, Montréal, Québec City, Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver. A free microSIM will arrive through your letterbox if you sign up for the Flexi-Data plan, where $35 a month buys you 5GB of data. The company's also taking the moment to push mobile TV: an extra $5 will buy you five hours of mobile TV straight to your iPad, great for that Murdoch Mysteries marathon you've been promising yourself.
Super High Aperture: it's why the new iPad's Retina display is so dense
Super High Aperture. Heard of it? Probably not, but thanks to Apple, you'll probably long for days when you didn't in just a few months. According to an in-depth look from the folks at DisplaySearch, the aforesaid technique is the primary reason that Apple was able to shove 2,048 x 1,536 pixels into the 9.7-inch panel on the new iPad. Not surprisingly, it wasn't Apple that conjured up the magic; instead, it was crafted by engineers at Sharp and JSR (a display materials maker from Japan), but it'll be the iPad that makes an otherwise geeky achievement something that the mainstream covets. According to the science behind it, SHA is "a method of increasing aperture ratio by applying approximately a 3 [micrometer] thick photo-definable acrylic resin layer to planarize the device and increase the vertical gap between the [indium tin oxide] pixel electrodes and signal lines." Reportedly, there are also "at least twice as many" LEDs in the panel compared to that on the iPad 2, further suggesting that there's way more battery within the new guy than the last. Technophiles need only dig into the links below to find plenty more where this came from.
Switched On: The iPad's landscape orientation
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The two major classes of tablet seeking to grab a share of the iPad's market have in many ways been driven by operating system advances. Windows 8 will bring the new Metro user interface and ARM support to allow what has historically been the more powerful PC class to scale down. Android 4.0 unifies the platform's tablet and smartphone operating systems, encouraging it to take better advantage of the larger screen capabilities and scale up.Indeed, the full potential of the new iPad won't be known until the release of iOS 6 to fuel Apple's historically tight pairing of hardware and software; that other shoe will likely drop at its developer conference in June. Despite the lack of a new operating system or form factor, the third-generation iPad and its now price-reduced predecessor have set the stage for how Apple plans to defend against Android and Windows tablets.
Exclusive: Sprint iPad shows up in Best Buy's database (Update)
If you were keeping score during Apple's iPad keynote on Wednesday, you noticed AT&T and Verizon listed amongst the carriers that will get the new iPad, but what about Sprint? It's going to be rockin' LTE in the not-too-distant future, after all. Well, if our eyes dost not deceive us, what we're seeing above (and below) may help put friends of the Now Network at ease: the new iPad for Sprint has arrived in Best Buy's internal inventory system. Does this mean we're going to see the devices magically show up next week at the electronic megastore? Eh, we wouldn't count on it showing up that soon. But is it possible that Sprint will have Apple's iconic tablet ready to go alongside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus when it launches its multi-billion-dollar 4G investment? If that's part of the strategy, then nicely played, Dan. Nicely played. Update: After hearing from several Best Buy employees, we've gotten a clearer explanation of what's being displayed these database shots. As we're told, each listing is evidently referring to different Sprint plans for the iPad, rather than specific models of the tablet. That said, this info still does seem to corroborate nicely with the notion that Sprint's likely landing Apple's slate at some point in the future. [Thanks, Anonymous and everyone who sent this in]
Apple's new iPad ship date slips to March 19th in the US
Did you wait too long to pull the trigger on a pre-order for Apple's newest iPad? Well, it looks like you'll have to join the rest of the US-based iStragglers and settle for a later ship date. The Cupertino-born slate, initially set for a March 16th release, now appears to have been pushed back to the 19th, forcing prospective online buyers to seek out any remaining stock at brick and mortar outlets on launch day. While this is by no means an indication that the company's sold out of its third-generation tablet wares, consider it a last call for the early adopter train.
Apple clearing out the old to make way for the new, selling iPad refurbs starting at $299
At this point, we're sure you've heard all about Cupertino's new slate. But, if for any reason the Retina display, iSight camera and A5X chip aren't enough to make you unload the $500+, Apple may have something for you. Quietly hiding in the online store's left corner is the special deals section, where a plethora of "Apple Certified Refurbished" devices await shoppers who don't mind a rejuvenated unit. For $299 you can virtually walk out with a WiFi, 16GB OG iPad, 50 bucks more gets you a second-gen with the same storage capacity and, if premium is your middle name, you could snag a 64GB WiFi / 3G iPad 2 for $679. It's also worth noting that all of them include a one-year warranty. Now, if that's still not budget-friendly enough, we hear there's a $129 tablet willing to take your cash. [Thanks, Eddie]
Early estimates say new iPad cuts Apple's profit margins
These estimates are always to be taken with a grain of salt but, if UBM TechInsights is to be believed, Apple is cutting into its precious profit margins to keep the price of the iPad flat. According to the research firm, the total cost of components in the 16GB 4G model is around $310 -- not including assembly and shipping. With a final price of $629, Cupertino is pulling in about a 51 percent profit, a sizable drop from the estimated 56 percent profit margin on the similarly specced iPad 2 at launch. A large chunk of that increased cost of production is made up by the new retina display, which is estimated to cost around $70, and the LTE chipset, which UBM priced at $21. In contrast, current pricing on the panel in the iPad 2 and its 3G radio rest at around $50 and $10, respectively. We're sure Tim Cook isn't losing any sleep though, there are plenty of other ways to make up that lost dough -- like selling more iPads.
